Top 5 Frozen Alcoholic Drinks in Houston

Although recent rainshowers have given us a respite from the heat, I'm sure another week of triple-digit temperatures are just around the corner. In such weather, all I'm in the mood for is salad, ice cream and icy, icy booze. Sure, I could make my own frozen drinks at home, but rather than add to my ever-increasing electricity bill, I shift the burden to outside purveyors. Here are my five favorite frozen beverages in Houston.

5. Limerita (El Pueblito Patio). Oh, come on. Don't pretend it doesn't tickle you pink to drink out of a humongous fruit shell. The pineapple that holds El Pueblito's intense limerita won't break if you drop it on the floor...but it will roll away to a neighbor's cabana if you're not watching it.

4. Frozen Daiquiri (BB's Cajun Cafe). The flickering red neon sign "Daiquiris 2 Geaux" at BB's Cajun Cafe is a veritable Batman signal if you're craving NOLA cuisine after 10 p.m. And while the drinks definitely play second fiddle to the po-boys, the daiquiris (especially the strawberry) are certainly worth trying, if only for the grape undertones present due to the substitution of wine for rum.

3. Frozen Tea (Cedar Creek). Here's a rule to live by: "Hot tea before noon, iced tea before 5 p.m. and frozen tea at Cedar Creek before midnight." Flavored with sweet tea vodka, the frozen tea will cool you down more than wind you up, so no worries about caffeine jitters if you have a couple of rounds.

2. Frozen Mai Tai (Chuy's). I love that tiki drinks, once dismissed as irredeemably corny, are once again all the rage. Garnished with a cherry, lime wedge and garish umbrella, the frozen Mai Tai at Chuy's has strong notes of coconut and pineapple but is only mildly sweet overall. It's sophistication, not sacrilege, by the way, to drink something other than a margarita with Mexican food.

1. Frozen Screwdriver (Under The Volcano). Usually, drinking the frozen version of a cocktail makes me feel less classy; however, the notable exception is the screwdriver at Under The Volcano. The icy-cold orange juice only betrays a whiff of vodka, which makes it seem particularly appropriate to drink just after breakfast. Don't drain too many glasses too quickly unless you want a cold headache immediately and a hangover a few hours later.